From tiny fairies to a giant cat: Bristol Light Festival reveals new installations for 2026

Bristol Light Festival has revealed another wave of new installations set to transform the city after dark from Thursday 19 to Saturday 28 February 2026, with more artworks still to be announced.

The award-winning free festival will once again turn Bristol into a glowing playground of discovery, blending big-scale spectacle, interactive moments and hidden details. Visitors can expect everything from mysterious creatures responding to their voices and tiny illuminated worlds tucked away indoors, to a giant sleeping cat inviting visitors to pause, connect and look at the world in a new way.

Image: The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years by Air Giant

With the festival’s opening days landing in the final weekend of February half term, it’s the perfect excuse for families to head into town together, wrapping up warm and exploring Bristol as the city comes alive with light, colour and imagination.

Among the newly announced artworks is Jellymonsters, a world premiere by Bristol-based illustrator Rob Hodgson, known for creating curious, playful worlds for children through books and experimental projects that bring characters to life in unexpected ways. Set on the waterside, the installation introduces mysterious, wobbly creatures said to live beneath the surface of the River Avon. Normally hidden from view and surviving on pie crumbs, the Jellymonsters are lured out by the sounds of passers-by, listening, reacting and playing along as visitors whisper, clap, sing or make noise, triggering responses through colour, light and movement.

For those who love a quieter kind of magic, Bell Jar Fairies by previous Bristol Light Festival artists Studio Mcguire, invites visitors into the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) to discover 13 tiny glowing fairies displayed inside bell jars, each inspired by Bristol’s landscapes, wildlife and hidden corners. Visitors will be encouraged to spot the fairies all around the RWA during special late-night openings of the gallery. 

Over at Cascade Steps, visitors can meet a gentle giant: The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years by pioneering soft-robotics studio Air Giants. Stretching 10 metres from ear to tail, the huge inflatable cat subtly responds to people nearby, breathing softly, twitching and purring, creating a moment of calm and wonder, while also prompting reflection on care, responsibility and the long-term future of the planet.

Image: The Midnight Ballet by Will Budgett

In University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens, The Midnight Ballet by Will Budgett transforms the landscape after dark, as seven illuminated steel and light sculptures gather to create an immersive play of light and shadow. Each precisely lit form casts the silhouette of a ballerina, with elegant, larger-than-life dancers emerging from the darkness. 

Founded by Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) and curated by multi award-winning Creative Director Katherine Jewkes, Bristol Light Festival is delivered in partnership with organisations across the city to create free, high-quality cultural experiences in public space.

Katherine Jewkes, Creative Director of Bristol Light Festival, said: “Bristol Light Festival is about giving artists permission to imagine boldly and play at scale. From tiny, intimate worlds hidden in plain sight to vast, breathing creatures that change how we experience the city, this year’s programme is about inviting people to slow down, look again and get involved. We’re proud to be premiering new work by Bristol artists alongside internationally recognised studios, and to support ideas that might feel playful, strange or ambitious. So many of this year’s installations are completed by the people who encounter them, whether you’re whispering to Jellymonsters, leaning in to spot a glowing fairy, or resting beside a sleeping giant cat, that’s when the artworks really come to life.”  

Anna Farthing, Interim Head of Place at Bristol BID, said: “With the festival opening over half term and expanding across a larger footprint this year, it’s a brilliant opportunity for families to explore Bristol together during the school holidays, enjoying more corners of the city centre after dark and supporting local businesses along the way.”

Bristol Light Festival 2026 will run nightly from 5pm - 9.30pm between Thursday 19 and Saturday 28 February 2026*. Admission is free and open to all. Accessibility information, travel advice and hotel packages will be available at the festival website. Follow @bristol_light_fest on Instagram and Facebook for programme updates, artist stories and behind-the-scenes content. The festival’s full programme of bookable activities will be announced soon.

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